Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-05-07
AT THF THEATER.

Excellent Presentation Of 1.-THE Octo.
rOou'' Last Evening-"The Streets Of
New York" Tonight.
That fine old realistic Southern
drama, "The Octoroon," was the play
presented by the Boyd Dramatic Com
pany last evening, and it WAS rem
dered in q very satisfactory manner.
The piece has its foundation in the
brutalities and cruel possibilities of
slavery. In it there are many lines
which appeal to Southern pride, but
its general tenor is calculated to
arouse the sympathy of the Northern
heart for the bond people of the old
days.
The argument" is this {; Judge
Peyton, wealthy planter, but care
less business man, has daughter by
a quadroon slave, whom he releases
from bondage by giving her "free
papers," but an old judgment stand.
ing against his property makes the
free papers for Miss Zoe worthless.
He had employed Jacob McCloskey-
man who secretly hated the South.
ern aristocracy-as overseer, and this
man took advantage of the Judges
loose business methods to become
possessed OF large part of the plan
tation. Another man, a Yankee, is
then employed as overseer. He is an
honest, inventive, but impractical
man. who by folly completes the ruin
alton that McCloskey began by ras.
cality. After Judge Peyton's death
the estate is to be sold under fore.
closure of mortgage, unless money
arrives from Liverpool firm (tha,
failed long before, with the Judge q
large creditor, but has resumed bust.
ness) to lift the mortgage. MoCloskey
kills a quadroon messenger boy, pos,
ing in front of a camera, in order to
get a letter which is due from the
firm with heavy remittance, that he
may prevent settlement of the estate
debts and have a chance to buy Miss
Zoe, whom he loves, but who has re.
jected his advances, as she loves and
is loved by George PeytoD, a nephe W
of the Judge, but cannot marry him
egally because of the faint of negro
blood in her veins. At the sale Nc.
Closkey runs the bidding for Zoe to
$25,OO0 But he does not get pos.
session of her, for an opportune dis.
covery of the old camera, with its
plate intact, proves him to be the
quadroon boys murderer, and he
takes to the swamps, pursued by
ah-no.tee, faithful Indian frienc
of the boy, who follows him relent
lessly, and finally kills him in a hand
to,hand fight with bowie, knives. Tn,
stolen letter is recovered and thu
estate comes back to its origina
owners; but in the meantime Mis-
Zoe, the ectoroon, has taken poison
and, surrounded by friends, dies il
the arms of the lover she cannot wed
1t is drama full of pathetic senti
ment and grievous wrongs, with man.
dashes of comedy, which makes
Northerner feel more deeply than eve
that the war for the overthrow o
slavery was righteous one.
Miss Boyd, as Zoe; Mr.. Wallace, a
Wah-no-tee, the Indian; Mr.. Kohle'
as McCloskey; Mr.. Hatch, as Scud
der; Mr.. Mckee, as Old Pete; MI
Murray, as George Peyton; and Mis-
Hayne, as Dora Sunnyslde, sustaine
their characters admirably. Frank
Wilton, as Paul, the quadroon DO,
gave new evidences of the grea
power Of little child. Miss Crous
was cast in a part unsuited to he
Mr.. Odell, as Dora Sunnyside's fathe
looked more like younger brother.
THIS EVENING.
Tonight the lurid drama, 9Th
Streets of New York;" will be pr,
scented, with the full strength of tn
really versatile company. There W;
} no matinee this afternoon, as the tim
was needed to prepare the stage ft
| xh;a evapipn